Content

• Method 2 of 2: Manually
• Tips
• Warnings

1 Set the stitch density to near zero.

2 Attach the buttonhole foot to the machine, if you have one. Although buttonholes can also be sewn with a regular buttonhole foot, the dedicated buttonhole foot makes it easy to measure and sew on buttonholes of the same size.

3 Mark the location of the hinges.

4 Mark with pins or tailor's chalk.

5 Place one end of the buttonhole mark under the foot.

6 Zigzag the beginning of the buttonhole to its full width. (cm. No. 1 in the figure).

7 Reduce the stitch width by half and sew one side of the buttonhole to the other end (see illustration). No. 2 in the figure).

8 Zigzag the other end of the buttonhole to the full width of the buttonhole. No. 3 in the figure).

9 Set the stitch to half width again and sew the second side of the buttonhole, returning to the starting point. No. 4 in the figure).

10 Repeat the entire procedure for a tighter buttonhole.

11 Take a ripper or sharp scissors and cut a notch inside the stitched buttonhole. Do not cut the stitch threads while doing this.

Method 2 of 2: Manually

1. 1 Mark the position of the loops carefully.
2. 2 Remove the slots, being careful not to show off their edges.
3. 3 Insert the thread through the needle and tie a knot.
4. 4Bring the needle out from the wrong side of the fabric to the right side.
5. 5 Loop the thread and push the needle back into the fabric.
6. 6 Thread the needle into the loop and pull the thread while tightening it.
7. 7 Repeat the process at short intervals.
8. 8 Continue sewing the perimeter buttonhole until all edges have been securely finished. If desired, the edges of the buttonhole can be tucked slightly while sewing.

Tips

• Thick thread is very helpful when sewing buttonholes by hand.
• If new, practice sewing buttonholes on an unnecessary piece of fabric before making them on the garment itself, especially the one that has just been sewn.
• Different sewing machines sew different buttonholes. Some require pressing the reverse button, while others independently sew the entire loop at once without your intervention. Check your sewing machine manual for specific instructions.

Warnings

• Needles and scissors must be handled carefully to avoid injury.